Happy - The Feeling and the Person
by AJ-Wolf-AJ
Summary: ENDGAME SPOILERS It's been weeks since Happy has gotten a voicemail or text from Peter and he knows something has to be done about it. But pride gets in the way.


It's been...Happy checked his watch...weeks since Tony Stark's funeral. He had been devastated to say the least. He had experienced loss many times in his life. He was old. It came with time. Losing a friend this way was terrible, even if he was your employer that drove you up a wall on the daily...hourly.

But Happy's mind wasn't with the late Stark but his intern instead. He had gotten strangely used to the daily calls and continuous texts when Peter was...alive. Happy shook the thought away. The kid was fine now. He was safely tucked away in Queens. He pulled out his phone, his main screen full of trackers. Yep in Queens, but his phone showed no new messages...from Peter. He had plenty of other useless notifications.

#S*P*I*D*E*Y#

Spiderman was on patrol. It was a brisk evening and he took his break on a roof overlooking his streets. He took deep breaths to slow his heart rate after fending off a creep following someone home, a half assed mugging, and helping a drunk teen stumble home.

He pulled his phone out and just stared at the blank screen. It had become habit to text Happy updates about his patrols. But Tony Stark was gone and Peter was sure Happy never read the texts or listened to the messages. He half considered crossing a few bridges until he was in Jersey just to set his tracker off. But shook the thought away as childish.

He was a superhero. He didn't have a team like the Avengers. He had a secret identity to protect. He was alone and he needed to be strong.

#H*A*P*P*Y#

"This is getting ridiculous." Ground out a harsh female voice over the phone. Happy grimaced. He heard Morgan in the background and considered asking for some time off to see them both. A mini lakeside vacation. But that would do nothing but leave him alone with his own mind, which was a dangerous thing.

"He's fine, Pepper." Happy responded. She had insisted on him calling her by her first name for personal calls. "I monitor his patrols and keep a suit on standby incase of anything serious."

"You can be really idiotic sometimes, Happy." Pepper responded. "Mommy, don't say that to Hap!" Came the small voice over the line. Happy smiled at that. "He doesn't need a baby monitor, he needs a friend. Isn't that what you were?" Happy felt a sickness rise up his spine. Had he abandoned the kid? "Both of you need to swallow your pride and realize that." Pepper finished. Morgan was silent.

"Have a good day, Ms Potts. Bye, Morgan." Happy said quietly.

"Bye, Hap!" came the excited reply. And the line clicked.

#S*P*I*D*E*Y#

Ok maybe Peter had been spending too much time as Spiderman. His patrols went from an easy few hours to extending way into the early morning hours. A few times he found himself gliding gracefully into his bedroom window only to have to shower quickly and head to school. He was pushing it, but being tired was better than being wired.

It was the third time in a week he had fallen asleep in class and he was finally sent to the main office. Peter sighed, expecting a lecture and detention. When he flopped into a chair in reception he was greeted by the receptionist.

"We've contacted your guardian. He is on his way."

What?

#H*A*P*P*Y#

Happy had just started his coffee break. Even the hardest working Stark Industries employee needed a break, and especially needed his caffeine.

His phone rang insistently. He didn't recognize the number so he ignored it the first time. But it just went off again. He sighed and answered it, staring at his mug with sweet longing.

"Happy Hogan, Stark Industries." He felt like a secretary. He rarely ever answered a phone without knowing exactly who was on the other line.

"Umm I'm sorry, I might have the wrong number." Happy sighed at the response. "Are you sure this is the next one after May Parker?" Parker? Happy perked up at that and it wasn't just the caffeine making it's way through his system.

"Is this about Peter?" He almost stumbled over the kid's name. God, what was wrong with him. After practically avoiding him the guilt was finally piling up. But the kid ignored him too!

"Yes, this is Midtown High. Peter has been falling asleep in class and someone needs to come in to discuss a course of action" Happy started to nod in understanding then responded.

"I'll be right there." He drank his coffee as he headed for the black car out front. Thankfully he was at a new Stark Industries researching and development building downtown or he'd have an interesting time explaining why it took him an hour to get to the school. His mind finally caught up to him when he set the empty mug in the cup holder and started the vehicle. Tony must have been listed as an emergency contact. All calls were forwarded through Happy. He was glad for the excuse to see Peter but was not looking forward to the conversation that was to follow.

#M*I*D*T*O*W*N#

It didn't take long for the supposed guardian to show up but Peter felt himself fading out again. His spidey sense were fried. Either he would be constantly bombarded with input or he would feel as if he were underwater, his senses dulled.

"Peter." A soft voice woke him from his light doze.

"Happy?" He questioned, standing quick and almost tripping over himself in the process.

"Come one, kid. Car's out front." Happy said grabbing his bag for him and walking out. Peter stepped quick to catch up.

"Wait, why are you here? What about detentions and talking with the principal and stuff? I have a calc quiz this afternoon. I should text Ned." Peter rambled.

"I told them you were sick and I would take you home." Happy said keeping his voice even. Sighing as he thought about the conversation he knew they had to have. Happy put Peter's bag in the trunk and Peter stood fidgeting next to the car. "Mr. Stark was listed as an emergency contact and all his calls are now forwarded to me." He said quietly after her closed the trunk. He noticed Peter's confusion and made the decision for him, opening the front passenger door for him to climb into.

They were silent as they pulled into afternoon traffic and the radio was so low Peter could just barely make out the genre. He noticed Happy sigh deeply out his nose a few times, annoyance spread across his features.

"Sorry you had to come get me." Peter spoke quickly shifted down in the seat to make himself smaller.

"I don't mind." Happy swallowed nervously. "Why are you falling asleep in class?" This conversation was alien to him. Asking a teen to explain his behavior. When Peter didn't respond Happy sighed again, shooting him a quick look as he looked both ways down a street. He was pressed against the door, arms crossed, an unreadable expression on his young face. "Have anything to do with getting back from patrols at 5 in the morning?" That got his attention.

"Are you tracking me?" Happy couldn't tell if Peter sounded affronted, confused, or touched.

"There's always someone looking out for you, kid." _I'm looking out for you, Peter._

"Where are we going?" _I don't want to talk anymore._

"Stark Industries."

They pulled into the parking garage under the building and when they stepped into the elevator Peter almost cried at the sound of F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s friendly greeting.

"Not-So-Happy and Spiderkid. Good to see you. Where to?" Happy grumbled a floor number and they rode up in more silence. When the door opened again they were in a large apartment. In front of them was a living space and connected kitchen with large windows looking over the East River. Peter walked to them and looked out over the river to his beloved Queens. Happy set Peter's backpack in the hallway.

"Mr. Stark bought this during the sale of Stark Tower. Figured he still needed a place close by." Happy told him quietly. _He needed to keep an eye on you._ "I took over operations here. Those UN guys get all the best food trucks." He motioned off to his right.

"Not-So-Happy. This is your shift change reminder for the Baby Monitor Protocol." Perfect timing, thanks F.R.I.D.A.Y. Just what we needed right now. Happy groaned.

"Baby monitor?" Peter asked suspicious. What he didn't expect was to be lead down to a lab a few stories below. The same large windows lined the wall overlooking Queens but these were doors instead. Doors to open air. In the lab Happy picked up a pad and approached 4 identical Ironman suits. Peter looked away, not sure he could handle seeing them. Instead he looked around the lab. Work benches were covered in blueprints of suits, and he recognized the red and blue of his own suit. A pile of notebooks lay beside it. Baby Monitor Protocol Continuation the top one said in a scrawl Peter recognized as Tony Stark's.

"He planned for this. He knew even if he succeeded that he might not make it back." Happy had stepped away from the suits after powering one down for maintenance and putting the other one on alert for Peter.

"Happy, I don't want to…" Peter tried to shake him off and stepped over to the windows.

"He cared about you a lot, kid. He did what he did not just to save billions. But to save you." Happy continued before he lost steam. "I'm as bad at….friendship and emotional stuff as Tony was but I'm here for you, kid. I may not be able to jump into a suit to race to your rescue but I can do everything I can to keep these suits up and running according to his specs. So that when you find yourself in inescapable danger you have backup." Happy tried to ignore Peter's shaking shoulders and dropped head. He laid a hand on his shoulder to steady them both.

"I miss him." Peter finally said.

"I do too, that won't ever go away. But it will get better." he assured the teen superhero. Peter composed himself. "From now on I want those daily update coming in." He tried to make his voice commanding but after standing by as the kid cried he couldn't put much stiffness to his tone. Peter quickly ran sleeves over his face. "And Spiderman's curfew is at 11pm until you can stay awake in class consistently." He felt like a parent trying to punish his kid.

Peter looked ready to argue but Happy turned back toward the elevator. Peter followed and they stepped out into the living area once again. Happy grabbed his backpack and handed it to him.

"Your room is down the hall. First door on the right. It's across from Pepper's and next to Morgan's. Put your backpack away and I'll see you in the kitchen." Happy turned toward the kitchen and Peter stood frozen. _My room?_

"Wait...uhh I mean what are we doing?" He stumbled.

"You're gonna help me with dinner. Pepper and Morgan are on their way down for a long weekend. Then you're doing your homework and going to bed early." Happy scolded gently pulling a pan from a lower cabinet.

A flash of a possible future appeared in Peter's mind. Peter and Happy cooking dinner. The four of them eating with benign chatter. Pepper helping with homework. Peter helping Morgan. And then for the first time in awhile Peter sleeping calmly through the night with Pepper, Happy, and Morgan close by.

This could be nice.


End file.
